In general, a washing machine is an apparatus that washes clothes using electric power, and performs processes of washing, rinsing, and spin-drying laundry, depending on a predetermined algorithm, to remove dirt and other contaminants from the laundry.
In the washing machine, a water tub that accommodates washing water is in a main body that forms an external appearance of the washing machine. A rotary drum is in the water tub, and a water supply apparatus supplies water to the water tub.
The water supply apparatus includes a water supply hose connected to the water tub to supply water to the water tub, and a water connecting device that fixes or attaches the water supply hose to a faucet.
As disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1317306 (Oct. 4, 2013), a water connecting device in the related art includes a coupler that is coupled to a faucet, a connecting socket detachably connected to the coupler, a clamp for caulking that connects the connecting socket and a water supply hose, and an elastic insert between a lower outer circumferential surface of the connecting socket and an inner circumferential surface of the water supply hose. The elastic insert has a partial surface that comes into contact with the clamp for caulking at the outside of the water supply hose.
A tightening screw is at the coupler so that when the tightening screw is tightened, the tightening screw presses against an outer surface of the faucet, and as a result, the connecting device is fixed to the faucet.
However, according to the connecting device in the related art, since the tightening screw is tightened to fix the water supply coupler to the faucet, it is inconvenient to perform work when a plurality of tightening screws needs to be tightened, and since a tool for tightening the tightening screw is required, it is difficult and/or cumbersome to fix the water connecting device to the faucet.
According to the connecting device in the related art, it is difficult to perform work because the connecting device is accurately fixed or attached to the faucet only when all of the tightening screws are tightened to the same degree, and when one or more of the of tightening screws is tightened by a different amount, the water connecting device may be offset with respect to the faucet, and as a result, water leakage may occur.
A hose connector may be disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1317306 (Oct. 4, 2013).